Tacking Into the Wind
In The Final Chapter ' |image= |series= |production=40510-572 |producer(s)= |story= |script=Ronald D. Moore |director=Mike Vejar |imdbref=tt0708608 |guests=Andrew J. Robinson as Elim Garak, Jeffrey Combs as Weyoun, Casey Biggs as Damar, J. G. Hertzler as General Martok, Robert O'Reilly as Gowron, John Vickery as Rusot, Salome Jens as Female Changeling, Kitty Swink as Luaran and J. Paul Boehmer as Vornar |previous_production=When It Rains… |next_production=Extreme Measures |episode=DS9 S07E22 |airdate=12 May 1999 |previous_release=(DS9) When It Rains… (Overall) Relativity |next_release=(DS9) Extreme Measures (Overall) Warhead |story_date(s)=Unknown |group="N"}} (2375) |previous_story=Think Tank |next_story=Juggernaut }} Summary Chancellor Gowron just sent General Martok on an offensive against the Dominion. The battle was lost due to being severely outnumbered. Gowron blames Martok, but Sisko in turn blames Gowron for ordering such a suicidal mission in the first place. Worf tells Sisko that he suspects that Gowron's new military strategies are meant to humiliate Martok's command abilities, with no thought of the consequences for the Klingon Empire as a whole. He urges Martok to challenge Gowron, but Martok refuses to even talk about it. Garak tells Kira that Odo has been hiding the true extent of his illness; Kira says she knew but wants to let Odo put on a brave front. They go with Damar to a Jem'Hadar shipyard with the intent of stealing the Breen energy dampening weapon. Kira has a tense relationship with Damar's friend and second in command, Rusot. Garak warns her that Rusot will soon attempt to kill her and that she should kill him first. En route, Damar receives word that his family was captured and executed by the Dominion. Kira responds to his outrage at the slaughter of innocent civilians by gently reminding him that HE killed Ziyal. Damar leaves in disgust, and Kira regrets her words, but Garak points out that Damar still has a romanticism about the past, and this incident along with her words may be what Damar needs to renounce those views and focus on freeing Cardassia from the Dominion. On board a Jem'Hadar ship Odo takes the form of the female changeling, complete with skin damage, and - despite a delay - they successfully steal a ship equipped with the Breen weapon. In the process, Rusot tries to kill Kira and convince Damar to take the weapon for themselves and not give it to the Federation. Damar is forced to kill Rusot, giving up his vision of restoring the old Cardassia and instead aiding the Federation in the hope of creating a better one. As the weapon is installed, the rebels depart the station and head for Federation space. Chief O'Brien suggests to Dr. Bashir that he announce that he has found a cure to the changeling's illness as a way to lure someone from Section 31 to DS9. Worf discusses Gowron's actions with Ezri, who points out that when men as honorable as Martok and Worf knowingly allow corruption at the highest levels, there is no hope for the empire as a whole. Worf muses on this during a High Council meeting in which Gowron presents a suicidal plan of attack against the Dominion. Worf challenges Gowron to a duel, which is evenly matched. Gowron seems to have the upper hand, with Worf thrown through a window and his bat'leth broken, and is about to kill him when Worf fatally stabs him with a piece of the bat'leth. By Klingon law, this makes Worf the new Chancellor, but Worf refuses the robe of office and hands it to Martok instead. Martok at first refuses, but Worf reminds him of the words of Kahless who said, "Great men do not seek power. They have power thrust upon them." Martok becomes the new Chancellor. Errors and Explanations Nit Central # Aaron Dotter on Sunday, May 09, 1999 - 8:22 am: The credits on the ST site still list Kira as "Colonel Kira Nerys". Does that mean they are just aren't going to change them, or that Kira in Starfleet is only temporary? Ch4d on Monday, May 10, 1999 - 1:39 pm: Temp assignment for Kira! She's not in Starfleet!!!! # Murray Leeder on Monday, May 10, 1999 - 8:13 pm: Obvious error: Bashir says that Section 31 has been hiding for more than 300 years. Try 200, since the Federation's foundation. According to Season 4 of Star Trek:Enterprise, Section 31 was in existence at least 10 years before the founding of the Federation (Reed was a member when he was an ensign, years before his assignment to Enterprise) and possibly longer, so Bashir’s 300 years could be correct. # Anonymous on Tuesday, May 11, 1999 - 9:22 am: if odo could hide the extent of his illness, then why is the female founder alowing it to show up so badly on her? Mike Konczewski on Tuesday, May 11, 1999 - 1:11 pm: The female shapeshifter could hide her illness in its early stages. It must become too difficult after the illness progresses. # Shirlyn Wong on Tuesday, May 11, 1999 - 3:04 pm: Wonder how the Breen would react if they see the Founder in her chipped state ... or did they already? I can't remember. Anyway, with what Damar had said and that, I'm sure the Breen would rethink their alignment with the Dominion. ;-) Mike Konczewski on Wednesday, May 12, 1999 - 8:39 am: They did already, Shirlyn. It may be the weakness of the Founders that caused the Breen to form an alliance. They might be reasoning that, once the Federation is defeated, it would then be easy to overthrow the weakened Founders. # L on Wednesday, May 12, 1999 - 6:07 pm: The resistance people shouldn't have taken Damar, if he's the symbol of the rebellion he shouldn't be placing himself in that risky a situation, if he dies, the resistance dies. At least this way he can be useful! # '' Prof. Farnsworth on Thursday, May 13, 1999 - 2:43 am:'' I found Garak's defense of Kira's *Zing* on Damar very interesting- either Garak *really* hates Damar, or he truly wants Cardassian society to improve. '' ScottN on Thursday, May 13, 1999 - 9:57 am:'' Haven't seen the ep yet (this saturday), but based on the discussion between Garak and Dukat in Civil Defense, and on what appeared to happen in the last ep, I would assume that Garak does *really* hate Damar. # Could Sec31 get the attention of a few Borg ships to clear out Dominion ships? Sounds like something they'd do. Have you taken leave of your senses? Section 31 exists to protect the Federation – they’re hardly likely to risk exposing the Alpha Quadrant to a deadly enemy! # Tony Joe on Thursday, May 13, 1999 - 3:43 pm: The Jem'Hadar and the Vorta on the ship are hopeless; they didn't even recognize the leader of the Cardassian Rebellion on the bridge of their ship! Mark Morgan on Sunday, May 16, 1999 - 12:36 pm: The Vorta I can believe not recognizing Kira and Dumar. But the Jem Hadar are genetically engineered supersoldiers! They should be able to identify the faces of their main enemies instantly.Kyle Powderly on Saturday, May 15, 1999 - 6:36 pm: As to the 'why didn't the Vorta recognize Damar?' question, it's because I suspect TPTB are setting up the Founders and their manufactured races (the Jem H'adar and the Vorta) as racists - that all Cardassians look alike, all Bajorans look alike, all humans look alike, etc. Sound hauntingly familiar? Adam Howarter on Sunday, May 16, 1999 - 10:03 pm:''I think nobody recognized Damar because he tried to stay behind everyone. ''Hans Thielman on Monday, May 17, 1999 - 9:59 am: The Jem Haddar troops should have recognized Damar on sight. I guess the Dominion doesn't have the functional equivalent of wanted posters. # Odo is in a terrible amount of pain, as if his condition is far worse than the female Founder. Or does the Founder have a higher pain tolerance? Murray Leeder on Thursday, May 13, 1999 - 3:49 pm: Odo's probably just been shifting a lot more than the Female Changeling, and that accelerates the condition. # Why was Odo resting in his humanoid form on the bunk. Wouldn't he be better off in his liquid state? Hans Thielman on Monday, May 17, 1999 - 12:45 pm: The changeling disease seems to make it difficult or impossible for Odo to regenerate normally.Sarah Perkins on Monday, May 17, 1999 - 1:43 pm: One huge nit: why was Odo still in humanoid form while "resting"? If the disease makes it difficult for the changelings to regenerate normally, then wouldn't the Founders be long gone? Odo can't survive for long without regeneration (The Die is Cast). ''Seniram 12:33, November 27, 2017 (UTC)''Perhaps the disease is designed to make the death as long and painful as possible? # Mark Morgan on Sunday, May 16, 1999 - 12:36 pm: The Federation apparently has *fantastic* intelligence about the Founder in the Alpha quadrant--Odo shapeshifted to look excatly like her current condition! AWhite (Inblackestnight) on Thursday, January 08, 2015 - 3:18 pm: Odo has linked with her several times. He knows she has the Changeling disease and he knows what the symptoms look like, so with all that information I wouldn't imagine that this would be a difficult thing to simply guess at. Plus, it's unlikely the average Vorta/Jem'Hadar has even seen a Founder, let alone that one in particular. # Aaron Dotter on Sunday, May 16, 1999 - 4:21 pm: One more thing. . . Ever since this whole disease thing came up, it has been touted as being able to eradicate the Founders. I am confused as to if they mean ALL Founders, or just the ones in the Alpha Quadrant. If it's all of them, then how did it get in the Gamma Quadrant? Rene on Sunday, May 16, 1999 - 8:07 pm: Aaron, Odo was infected in the fourth season… he linked with the entire Link in the season finale of the fourth season...and therefore every Founder is infected. # Adam Howarter on Sunday, May 16, 1999 - 10:03 pm: Sisko really is brave talking to Gowron that way. Can you imagine a USN captain talking to Winston Churchill that way? He's lucky Gowron didn't say "I don't like your tone captain, I'm going to file a complaint with Adm. Ross (where was he anyway.)" Or worse yet just break the alliance and start fighting the Dominion on his own. Maybe he appreciates Sisko’s willingness to speak his mind. # Why was Worf at a Klingon strategy meeting? He's a Starfleet officer. Did Martok invite him along in the hope he'd challange Gowron? Chris Thomas on Sunday, November 14, 1999 - 8:01 am: Worf has been working in hand in hand with the Klingon side of the war for some time, serving on Martok's ship and even commanding other Klingon vessels. He's Starfleet's liaison with the Klingons. # If the head of the Empire can loose his job (and life) in hand-to-hand combat how in the...heck did K'pek hold on so long? Why didn't Duras just come out and challenge him instead of poisoning him slowly? Duras was a sneaky double crossing coward, who probably didn’t have the skills to take on the guards! # Adam Howarter on Sunday, May 16, 1999 - 10:03 pm: I'm suprised the Vorta didn't ask "You captured a Bajorian, good for you. Why are you bringing her to a dry dock? Take her to a prision planet." Perhaps the Vorta assumed this ship was being requisitioned for this. # Odo missed a big chance to do it the easy way while he was making like the female changling. He could have just said "You will finish installing the weapon, then you will evactuate the ship and let us leave." When the Vorta asks what’s up. He can just say (and tell me you can't hear the female changling saying this) "that is no concern of yours, do as you're told." Too risky – The Vorta may have insisted on taking the ‘prisoner’ with them. # Hans Thielman on Monday, May 17, 1999 - 9:59 am: When Worf killed Duras, Picard reprimanded him. I don't suppose Sisko will reprimand Worf for essentially assassinating Gowron. Shirlyn Wong on Monday, May 17, 1999 - 10:30 am: I don't think Sisko will reprimand Worf for killing Gowron. He did give Worf his "ok" to stop Gowron. Worf did say he knew of a way to stop Gowron and Sisko didn't bother to ask what it was. But I guess he knows enough that it would be a challenge-to-the-death (remember Apocalypse Rising?). # Since Sisko prohibited Jadzia and Worf from going on missions together, why didn't he do the same for Kira and Odo? Seniram 12:33, November 27, 2017 (UTC) Jurisdiction - Dax and Worf had graduated from Starfleet Acadamy, and were full members of Starfleet, whereas Kira has a temporary field commission, and Odo has never been a member. (As soon as I typed that last bit, I found myself picturing Odo in full starfleet uniform!) Shirlyn Wong on Monday, May 17, 1999 - 10:30 am: Hans, Sisko prohibited Jadzia Dax and Worf from going on missions together. ;-) Besides, I think this only applies to them being alone on missions but not when there are more than 2 in a mission. As for Kira and Odo, there's Garak, Damar & the now-dead Rusot to keep the mission going. # Harvey Kitzman on Tuesday, May 18, 1999 - 4:33 pm: Why didn't Damar hide his family before he started the rebellion? Bad mistake on his part. There may not have been time – or a safe place for them to go to # Joshua Truax on Sunday, May 23, 1999 - 7:49 pm: Some time after Garak kills Luaran and the Jem'Hadar on their bridge, someone on the station calls and requests some kind of status report from "the Vorta" in command of the ship. Why doesn't this person refer to Luaran by her name? S/He has evidently been working with Luaran for some time, to need a status report from her -- so why wouldn't this person know her name? The Jem’Hadar and conditioned not to address and refer to the Vorta by name, but only as ‘The Vorta’, since there is only one assigned to each group of Jem'Hadar. # Joe Pintar on Monday, May 31, 1999 - 11:41 am: Why didn't Sisko give Worf a stern talking to after Worf killed Gowron. Gowron is after all, chancellor of the Klingon Empire, an ally of the Federation. True what Worf did was legal for Klingons but not for Starfleet. Rememeber when Worf killed Duras and Picard chewed him out? Yet, what Worf did was legal under Klingon law. Shouldn't Sisko do the same or is he simply looking the other way because he had enough of Gowron? Shirlyn Wong on Monday, May 31, 1999 - 12:22 pm: Maybe Sisko is going to let this slide 'coz he did tell Worf to stop Gowron, something to the effect that "whatever it takes". # Callie Sullivan on Tuesday, March 14, 2000 - 2:42 pm: In the TNG first season episode where three renegade Klingons came aboard the Enterprise (Code of Honor?) and one of them died, all the Klingons present roared, yet here only Worf roared. The other Klingons may not have considered Gowron worthy of the honor, due to his recent actions, such as his attempts to discredit Martok. # TWS Garrison on Friday, June 20, 2003 - 2:48 am: Reports differ on whether neurozine gas is poison or anesthetic---Message in a Bottle ( ) (which predated this episode, I believe) identified it as an anesthetic. And the ship was not staffed with Cardassians---it wouldn't make sense to not allow them to have guns in that case, right? It was a Dominion ship, staffed by Jem'Hadar and one Vorta. All the Cardies were on the Cardassian space station. Of course, one wonders why a Dominion ship would have the capacity to be flooded with gas like that. . .from the bridge, without any command codes. . . The Jem'Hadar aren't going to mutiny, and in the event of a boarding operation, it would probably be easier and more effective (and in line with Dominion thinking) just to activate a self-destruct. LUIGI NOVI on Friday, June 20, 2003 - 1:38 pm: Perhaps it's in case intruders board the ship, and self-destruct is precluded for some reason, like an important mission, the presence of a Founder on board, etc. # Nove Rockhoomer on Thursday, January 27, 2005 - 10:09 pm: Worf tells Sisko that Gowron was leading the Klingons into defeat after defeat to humiliate Martok. Does that make any sense? Gowron was leading the fleet, so wouldn't he get the blame for the defeats rather than Martok? LUIGI NOVI on Friday, January 28, 2005 - 8:07 am: If Gowron was ordering Martok into those battles, then Martok would have to suffer the humiliation of retreating from them and/or losing them, since Klingons don't like retreating. Nove Rockhoomer on Saturday, January 29, 2005 - 7:57 pm: I guess I was assuming that Gowron would be the one to order the retreat since he was leading the fleet. But maybe he didn't go out and fight himself and left it to Martok so he would be humiliated. ''John-Boy on Sunday, May 08, 2005 - 1:49 pm:''Of course Gowron left it to Martok so he would be humiliated! Why would Gowron risk humiliation on himself? # The Founder gives orders to find Damar's wife and children (plural). Damar says that his wife and son were killed (singular). Does Damar have another child that wasn't killed? If so, why didn't he mention it? Cockney Colombian on Thursday, July 13, 2006 - 7:26 am: Not neccessarily a nit. Damar and the Founder never socialised outside of work (No late night Tongo sessions, no "Come back to mine for a glass of Kanar Ma'am") and as such she'd be ignorant of his precise domestic arrangements. She gave a general order which essentially boils down to kill this man's immediete family. As it happens Damar only had the one son. Notes Category:Episodes Category:Deep Space Nine